Follow the Nightingale
Encyclopedia
"Follow the Nightingale" is a song by Kokia
, released as her 18th single on November 21, 2007. The song, along with the single's B-side "Say Goodbye & Good Day," were used as the opening and ending theme songs for the Nintendo DS
game Tales of Innocence
.
The song was featured on Kokia's sixth studio album, The Voice
. "Say Goodbye & Good Day" was present as a bonus track on the French edition, but not on the Japanese edition. "Say Goodbye & Good Day" also features on Kokia's 2009 greatest hits collection Coquillage: The Best Collection II
.
Kokia chose the theme of the single's cover to be of an oasis
, with the theme that "all animals, people and trees need water to survive."
album. She described the song as being like a magnificent film's soundtrack, such as Peter Jackson
's Lord of the Rings trilogy
. She also describes the song as being "like a horse running through a great plain."
"Follow the Nightingale" is an upbeat song influenced by dark wave neoclassical
music, with two major movements. The first movement (occurring three times, 0:00-0:40, 1:19-1:50 and 2:17-3:23) are quiet, featuring light chorus work by Kokia, the harp
, stringed instruments and the piano
. The final section of this movement features an extended bridge
, with Kokia singing in operatic vocals. The second movement (0:40-1:19, 1:50-2:17 and 3:57-4:36) begins with the sound of maracas and Kokia's voice amplified several times with layered chorus work. It then moves into a complex arrangement of strings and drums/cymbal
s, along with Kokia's chorus work and the maracas.
The lyrics of the song come in two different sections: coded Japanese and standard Japanese. Kokia describes these coded sections as "perplexing riddle words." The standard Japanese is written in capital letters in a roman stript (such as the first line, "REGNIH REGNIH CI AN ETTAM REGNIH ETTAM ETTAM"). The standard Japanese only appears in the first movement's second and third sections, while the coded lyrics appear throughout the song.
Kokia has written coded lyrics previously, for her song "Chowa Oto" (in which each syllable was reversed). However, this cipher does not work for the lyrics of "Follow the Nightingale." If each individual letter is reversed, some comprehensible lyrics are able to be read (such as "ATTAMIJAHAHIRA TAGONOM" becoming , and "ATERA REGANAHIAS" becoming ), however this does not work in all cases.
"Say Goodbye & Good Day," in comparison, is a pop song, arranged with a standard band backing (bass, guitar, drums) and piano, with without complex chorus work. Kokia described "Say Goodbye & Good Day" as being a refreshing song. On her decision to use the word "goodbye" (despite its sad implications), she notes she chose it to give the feeling of "advancing to the next step."
, which was released 16 days later on the 6th of December.
Kokia featured in several minor media outlets in promotion of the single, such as internet TV show Ameba Studio on November 24, the NHK
TV show Manga Yawa on the 29th, and on the Nippon Broadcasting
radio show Mucomi on December the 6th. She also had a feature article in Shūkan Famitsū in the December 14 issue.
On December 22 2007, Kokia performed "Follow the Nightingale" at the 2008 Jump Festa
anime/game expo.
," "Kawaranai Koto (Since 1976)
" and "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)
".
Kokia (singer)
is a Japanese singer-songwriter, who performs under the stage name Kokia . She is best known for her songs and "The Power of Smile." She is also recognised for her numerous contributions to anime/game soundtracks, the most notable being "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto " for the film...
, released as her 18th single on November 21, 2007. The song, along with the single's B-side "Say Goodbye & Good Day," were used as the opening and ending theme songs for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
game Tales of Innocence
Tales of Innocence
is the ninth mothership title in the Tales series for the Nintendo DS. The game was developed by Alfa System, and was released on December 6, 2007 in Japan. Tales of Innocences characteristic genre name is . The game has not been released outside of Japan although there is a full fan translation...
.
The song was featured on Kokia's sixth studio album, The Voice
The Voice (Kokia album)
The Voice is Kokia's sixth studio album, released in February 2008. It is the first of four album releases in 2008 celebrating her 10th anniversary as a singer....
. "Say Goodbye & Good Day" was present as a bonus track on the French edition, but not on the Japanese edition. "Say Goodbye & Good Day" also features on Kokia's 2009 greatest hits collection Coquillage: The Best Collection II
Coquillage: The Best Collection II
Coquillage: The Best Collection II is Kokia's second greatest hits album, released on December 2, 2009.-Background:...
.
Kokia chose the theme of the single's cover to be of an oasis
Oasis
In geography, an oasis or cienega is an isolated area of vegetation in a desert, typically surrounding a spring or similar water source...
, with the theme that "all animals, people and trees need water to survive."
Composition
Kokia likens the song to "Chowa Oto" from her Trip TripTrip Trip
Trip Trip is Kokia's second album, released in January 2002. It was her first album released with Victor Entertainment, and her only released under Gai Records management...
album. She described the song as being like a magnificent film's soundtrack, such as Peter Jackson
Peter Jackson
Sir Peter Robert Jackson, KNZM is a New Zealand film director, producer, actor, and screenwriter, known for his The Lord of the Rings film trilogy , adapted from the novel by J. R. R...
's Lord of the Rings trilogy
The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
The Lord of the Rings is an epic film trilogy consisting of three fantasy adventure films based on the three-volume book of the same name by English author J. R. R. Tolkien. The films are The Fellowship of the Ring , The Two Towers and The Return of the King .The films were directed by Peter...
. She also describes the song as being "like a horse running through a great plain."
"Follow the Nightingale" is an upbeat song influenced by dark wave neoclassical
Neoclassical (Dark Wave)
Neoclassical Dark Wave refers to a music genre within the Dark Wave movement. It is characterized by the use of ethereal atmosphere and angelic female voices but also adds strong influences from classical music. Neoclassical Dark Wave is distinct from the academic art music form known as...
music, with two major movements. The first movement (occurring three times, 0:00-0:40, 1:19-1:50 and 2:17-3:23) are quiet, featuring light chorus work by Kokia, the harp
Harp
The harp is a multi-stringed instrument which has the plane of its strings positioned perpendicularly to the soundboard. Organologically, it is in the general category of chordophones and has its own sub category . All harps have a neck, resonator and strings...
, stringed instruments and the piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
. The final section of this movement features an extended bridge
Bridge (music)
In music, especially western popular music, a bridge is a contrasting section which also prepares for the return of the original material section...
, with Kokia singing in operatic vocals. The second movement (0:40-1:19, 1:50-2:17 and 3:57-4:36) begins with the sound of maracas and Kokia's voice amplified several times with layered chorus work. It then moves into a complex arrangement of strings and drums/cymbal
Cymbal
Cymbals are a common percussion instrument. Cymbals consist of thin, normally round plates of various alloys; see cymbal making for a discussion of their manufacture. The greater majority of cymbals are of indefinite pitch, although small disc-shaped cymbals based on ancient designs sound a...
s, along with Kokia's chorus work and the maracas.
The lyrics of the song come in two different sections: coded Japanese and standard Japanese. Kokia describes these coded sections as "perplexing riddle words." The standard Japanese is written in capital letters in a roman stript (such as the first line, "REGNIH REGNIH CI AN ETTAM REGNIH ETTAM ETTAM"). The standard Japanese only appears in the first movement's second and third sections, while the coded lyrics appear throughout the song.
Kokia has written coded lyrics previously, for her song "Chowa Oto" (in which each syllable was reversed). However, this cipher does not work for the lyrics of "Follow the Nightingale." If each individual letter is reversed, some comprehensible lyrics are able to be read (such as "ATTAMIJAHAHIRA TAGONOM" becoming , and "ATERA REGANAHIAS" becoming ), however this does not work in all cases.
"Say Goodbye & Good Day," in comparison, is a pop song, arranged with a standard band backing (bass, guitar, drums) and piano, with without complex chorus work. Kokia described "Say Goodbye & Good Day" as being a refreshing song. On her decision to use the word "goodbye" (despite its sad implications), she notes she chose it to give the feeling of "advancing to the next step."
Promotion
"Follow the Nightingale" and "Say Goodbye & Good Day" were used as the theme song for the game Tales of InnocenceTales of Innocence
is the ninth mothership title in the Tales series for the Nintendo DS. The game was developed by Alfa System, and was released on December 6, 2007 in Japan. Tales of Innocences characteristic genre name is . The game has not been released outside of Japan although there is a full fan translation...
, which was released 16 days later on the 6th of December.
Kokia featured in several minor media outlets in promotion of the single, such as internet TV show Ameba Studio on November 24, the NHK
NHK
NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
TV show Manga Yawa on the 29th, and on the Nippon Broadcasting
Nippon Broadcasting System
, or JOLF, is a Japanese radio station in Tokyo. Together with Nippon Cultural Broadcasting it is a flagship station of the National Radio Network...
radio show Mucomi on December the 6th. She also had a feature article in Shūkan Famitsū in the December 14 issue.
On December 22 2007, Kokia performed "Follow the Nightingale" at the 2008 Jump Festa
Jump Festa
is an annual party or exposition in Japan, all about anime and manga, sponsored by Shueisha, creators of the various Jump anthologies. New movies, manga, games, and merchandise are introduced during this event...
anime/game expo.
Reception
The song debuted at #23 on Oricon's daily singles chart, peaking at #22. For her first week, Kokia's single peaked at #33, selling 4,600 copies. The single charted for nine weeks, selling a total of 12,000 copies in this time. Because of this, "Follow the Nightingale" is Kokia's fourth best selling single, after "The Power of Smile/Remember the KissThe Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss
"The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss" is Kokia's 10th single, released on September 24, 2003. It is currently Kokia's most commercially successful single, after being used as the Kao Essential Damage Care shampoo commercials in 2003, featuring actress Yūko Takeuchi.-Background:This single was the...
," "Kawaranai Koto (Since 1976)
Kawaranai Koto (Since 1976)
is Kokia's 9th single, released on May 21, 2003. It is currently Kokia's second most commercially successful single after "The Power of Smile/Remember the Kiss," due to being used as the daytime TV drama Itoshiki Mono e's theme song.-Background:...
" and "Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)
Ai no Melody/Chōwa Oto (With Reflection)
is Kokia's 15th single, released on January 1, 2006, a month before her greatest hits collection Pearl: The Best Collection. The songs were used as the ending and opening theme songs for the animated film Origin: Spirits of the Past...
".
Track listing
Japan Sales Rankings
| Release | Chart | Peak Position | First Week Sales | Sales Total | Chart Run |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oricon daily singles chart | 22 | ||||
| Oricon weekly singles chart | 33 | 4,600 | 12,000 | 9 weeks | |
| Oricon yearly singles chart |
Personnel
- Katsuhiko "Chara" Asano - recording & mixing engineer
- Shigeyuki Hirano - director (Anco & Co.)
- Noriko Inose - photographer
- Masao Itō - head of promotion (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment)
- Hiroshi Kawasaki - mastering engineer
- Kokia - performer, producer, styling, songwriter
- Keiichi NozakiKeiichi Nozakiis a Japanese anime music producer currently affiliated with Victor Entertainment. His hired works include savage genius and Yuki Kajiura-Staff in:* .hack//Liminality * .hack//SIGN...
- director (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment) - Kaoru Nyūi - hair & makeup
- Shiro Sasaki - executive producer (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment)
- Masakazu Sato - sales promoter (Victor Entertainment)
- Taisuke Sawachika - arranger
- Seishi Takeuchi - post pro editor (Victor Entertainment)
- E. Yaguchi - arti direction, design
- Hiroshi Yamashita - sales promoter (Flying Dog/JVC Entertainment)